Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. B. HASELTINE FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MEGHANISM Filed May 14, 1924 May 8, 1928.

May s, 192s. 1,668,900

S. B. HASELTINE FRICTION SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM A 1 d M 4, 1924 @iff E l maw 1" /z' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATESi 1,668,900 PAT OFFICE.

sTACY 1a. nAsnL'rIivnV or CHICAGO, rumors-Assieme, BY MEsNE Assiennmms,

To W. H. Minna, INC., A CORPORATION QFDEIAAWARE.

FRICTION sHoCK-AsORBING" MECHANISM.

Application filed May `14,

This invention relates to improvements in friction shock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a high Capacity friction shock kabsorbing inechanismof the intercalated plate type, adapted for railway draft riggings, having a relatively light action during-theinitialv portion andl a heavier frictional resistance during the remainder of the compression stroke. i

Another object of the invention is to kpro'- vide a friction shock absorbing mechanism,- including a plurality of intercalated friction elements and a coacting friction wedge system, together with' means rfor restoring the friction elements to normal position aftereach compression stroke,so arranged v that restoration of the friction elementsl is assured by"'effecting release of the friction wedge system prior yto any relative 4movement of' the intercalated friction elements.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the character indicated, including a plurality-ofrelatively f movable coacting friction elements, wherein certain of said elements are provided with`v stiffeningl means thereby bracing the same and the remaining elements to prevent bending or other distortion thereofduring the operation of the mechanism. Y

Other objects and advantages ofthe :invention will more clearly appear fronr the description vand claims hereinafterfollowing.

In `thedrawings Vforming a part ofthis specification, Figure l is a longitudinal, horizontal sectional view of a portion `of a railway' draft rigging showing fmy im# Vprovemenrs in connection therewith. Fig`l urel Q, is a front endy elevational view of the shock absorbing mechanism proper. Figure 3 is a vertical,transverse,sectional View of the shock absorbingmechanism proper, corresponding substantially to the line 8 3 of Figure' l. Figure l isa detailed,` perspective view of one ofthe Wedgefriction shoes used in connection with my improved mech-k anism. rindl Figure 5 isa detailed, side ele vational view of one of the frictional plates of said mechanism.

In said drawings, 10,-10 'denote channel shaped center ,or draft Vsills of a railway car underframe, tothe inner faces of which 4are secured front stop lugs 11-11 and rear stop lugs l2-12. kThe inner end portion of the.-

1924.. serial No. 713,140.

esy

blocks B-LB ,Tfrontfand rear pairs of Wedge Y shoes C-.C; twoffriction elements D-D; two groups .ofL in-tercalat'ed friction plates E--E; tandem arranged spring resistance elements yF-Fgandfairetainer bolt G. Y

'lihejfriction shell-or casing A is in the form Yof a rectangular box-likecasting open at its, opposite ends, and has spaced, longitudinally disposed 'side fwalls' 18-18 and` longitudinally disposed,-` spaced f top and bottom walls21191-195,Y the interior surfaces of 1 the side walls!18"presenting longitudinally extending friction surfaces adapted `to ooact with the outermost'platesof the groups of friction platesk As clearlyy shown in Figure 1,:thef`shellfA is of such va length that the yfront andf-rear ends thereof are normally? spaced jfroin the front and rear ffollowers. At the front andrjear ends vof the top and bottom lwalls l9cofgthe shell are 4provided opposed, transversely extending, interior ribs Q0, eaclrrib bei-ng' relatively' 'short and" having its opposite ends equally spaced from 'therespectivefside walls 18. Each of the walls ll9falso has on the interior side a longitudinally disposed; relatively wide central rib 2l extending` from the frontto the rear end Aoftheshell and merging with the corresponding front and rear ribsld The opposedA top and bottom ribs 2l act to maintain thespring resistance elements F in position,the bottom rib further acting as` :a support^`forfthe springs. The transverse ribs 20lformfront andfrear abutmentsfor the friction elements D, preventing longie tu'dinal movement of the same with `referenceto 'the shell, andg yet permitting lateral displacement thereof.

The' front andrear wedge .blocks are of like construction, each block being inthe form of ahollow casting and having a flat outer facel Q2y adapted :to abut the inner surface ,of the correspondinglmain follower.

Eachblock is also provided with a pair kof faces 23 at the opposite sides thereof, converging inwardly of the mechanism and adapted to coact with the adjacentpairs of friction wedge shoes C.

rfhe friction wedge shoes G-C, which are i four in number, are arranged in pairs at the opposite ends of the mechanism, each pair coacting with the corresponding wedge block D. On the inner side, that is, the side nearest the longitudinal central axis of the mechanism, each shoe has a wedge farce 123 correspondingly inclined to and adapted to coact with the corresponding wedge face 25 of one of the blocks B. At the inner end of the wedge face 123, each block has a vertically disposed, laterally lprojecting flange 24- and inwardly of the flange the corresponding side` of the body portion of the shoe is recessed as indicated at 25 to accommodate the adjacent side of the outer coil of the corresponding main spring resistance F. The outer side of each shoe is flat, presenting an elongated friction surface 26 adapted to coact with the corresponding friction element D. Adjacent the outer end, each shoe is provided with a laterally outwardly projecting lug 27 for appurpose hereinafter described.

As herein shown, two groups of friction plates E are employed, one group being disposed on each side of the mechanism. Each group is preferably composed of outer and inner plates 28 and an intermediate plate 29. The outer plate 28 of each group has frictional contact with the inner surface of the corresponding side wall 18 of the shell and the inner plate 28 of each group frictionally engages the corresponding element D. The plates 28 and 29 are of similar construction, and as best shown in Figure 5, each plate has adjacent one end a longitudinally, elongated opening 30 disposed midway of its height and spaced inwardly from the corresponding end edge thereof. At the opposite end, each plate has an inwardly extending longitudinal slot 3l. The slot 3l. is also disposed midway between the top and bottom edges of the plate and is of appreciably greater length than the opening 30. The plates 28 and 29 of each group are reversely arranged, the plates 28 of one group ha fing the openings 30 at the forward end and the plate 29 yof the same group having the opening 30 at the rear end. The elongated openings 3k()` and the slots 3l of the plates 28 ofthe aforementioned group are adapted to slidingly receive the laterally projecting lugs 27 of the corresponding front and rear shoes C, respectively, and the elongated openings l0 and slots 3l of the plates 29 of said group are respectively adapted to slidingly receive the lugs 27 of the corresponding rear and .front shoes C. On vthe opposite side of the device, the arrangement of plates, slots and openings is directly reversed. As clearly shown in the drawings, theslots 3() of the plates 28 and 29 are of such a length as to permit a certain amount of lost motion between the plates and shoes to which they are connected by the lugs 27,

the lugs 27 normally engaging the outer end lugs 27 of the rear and front shoes are ofA such a length as to permit full movement of the plates during compression of the mechamsm.

The two friction elements D are of like construction, each being in the form of a channel shaped elongated member having a vertical, longitudinally disposed wall and lateral, inwardly projecting, horizontal top and bottom stiffening flanges Each element D has a transversely disposed, Vertical web 34: formed integral therewith midway between the ends thereof. rlhe elements D are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the mechanism, each being interposed between one of the groups of plates E and the corresponding,.front and rear shoes, the flat outer faces 26 of the shoes bea-ring on thevinner surface of the wall 32 and the innermost plate 28 of said group bearing on the outer surface of said wall. rlhe top and bottom plates, in addition to serving stitlening members for the elements D, by means of which the lateral pressures induced by the edging-systems are distributed throughout the length of the plate E, act as top and bottom guides for the shoes C. lllhen the parts are assembled` the webs-lare substantially in transverse alinement and serve as abutment means for the inner ends of the inner and outer coils of the respective spring resistance elements F, the spring resistance elements F being arranged in tandem as shown, one having its front end engaging the flanges 2d of the front set of shoes and the other having its rear end engaging the flanges 2st of the rear set of shoes. The front and rear ends of the wall 82 of each element are centrally slotted as indicated at 85 to4 sliding accommodate the lugs 27 of the corresponding front and rear shoes. Each slot 35 extends inwardly from the end edge of the plate and is of such a length as to permit the necessary inward movement of the lugs 27 of the corresponding shoe to assure the required full movement of the shoe during compression of the mechanism.

It will be evident that lthe tandem springs bearing on `opposite sides of the webs 34; of

springs F and having its front Dand rear endsr anchored yin the recesses of the hollow front and rear wedges respectively, the webs 311 being` notched to accommodate the sides of the retainer bolt. The bolt G alsoserves to hold the mechanism under initial compression. is wear occurs on the various friction andwedge faces, compensation therefor will be had by the expansion of the spring elements F which are free to expand as hereinbefore pointed out, moving the wedge shoes outwardly. Y

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: l-Xssuniing an inward or buiiing movement of the drawbar, the front follower 15 will be moved rearwardly, compressing the tandem spring resistance elements F, and

thereby forcingthe rear pair of wedge shoes C into tight wedging engagement with the rear wedge B, which is held stationary by engagement with the follower' 16. At the same time, a wedging action will be set up between the front and rear wedges and shoes, placing the friction plates under lateral pressure. f As the rearward movement of the follower 15 continues, the front set of shoes will slide on the friction elements and, at the same time and due to thepfriction between the parts, tending` to force the friction elemei'its D together with the shell and friction plates rearwardly. thereby effecting a relative substantially similar sliding movement of the elements D on therear set of slices C. During `this action, the lugs on the front and rearshoes will become spaced from the outer end walls of the recesses 30 of the plates, the front follower 15 will approach the forward ends of the plates 28 and 29 pi'ojecting from the forward end of the shell and the plates Q8 and 29 projecting from the opposite end of the shell will approach the rear follower 16. This action, will continue until the front and' rear lfollowers engage the nearest adjacent plates lill 28 and 29, whereupon the plates will be moved relatively to each other, greatly augi'nenting the frictional resistance offered.

The described movement of the followers,l

plates and shell continues until the actuating force is removed, or until the front and rear torcalated, plates; of meansfor eitl'ecting relative movethe rear stopflugs, thereby "preventing the springs from being driven solid.

During dra-ft, the action substantially the reverse of that justV described, the front follower' 15 remaining stationary while the rear follower' is moved toward the same. Upon reduction of the actuating force,jthe wedging pressure will be relieved due to the relatively blunt angle included between the faces of each wedge and there will be an initial release movement of the friction shoes and 'wedges due to thelugs on the shoes bei-ng spaced inwardly of the out-er end walls ofthe recesses 30 of the plates 1Q during compression of the mechanism. Theonly resistance which must be overcome at this time, therefore, is the very slight friction between the shoes and the elements D. A certainA reduction of the lateral' pressure on the. groups of friction plates, and, therefore, an easy and quick release, is thus assured. As either set of shoes, at the front or rear end of the mechanism moves outwardly relatively to the shell, due to the expansive action of the springs F, the'lugs 27' on the said set of shoes will come into engagement with the outer end walls of the openings 30 of the corresponding plates and carry .the plates outwardly therewith, On account of the friction existing4 between the plates of each group, the remaining plates of the two groups will be carried forward also until they are arrested by the outer end walls of theslots 30 thereof coming into abutment with the lugs 27 of the other set of shoes. At the saine time, the tandem springs acting on the webs 3l of the friction elements D will restore the'latter and the Vshell to centered position.

I have herein shown and described what Al now consider the preferred manner or carrying out my invention but the saine is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the lscope of the claims appended hereto.

l claim: g

1. ln a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a group of inrelatively `movable friction ment of said plates; afriction element coacting with said plates, said element being braced by longitudinally disposed stiiiening flanges; and `means for ycompressing said group of plates laterally, including a lateral pressure-creating means disposed at one sde of said group` of plates and a lateral pressure-resisting member haviini;` an abutment surface disposed at the opposite side of said group of plates, saidmember having means rigid therewith engaging said element to prevent longitudinal'movement therebetween; and la spring resistance'coacting `with said lateral Ypressure-creatingf lll) lll)

2. In a friction shock absorbing mechanisin, the combination with front and rear followers; said followers being movable toward and away from each other; of a friction shell interposed between said followers; a pair of longitudinally disposed, laterally displaceable friction elements at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis oi the ineehanisin, each of said elements having abutment ineans thereon; ineans for holding said elements against movement longitudinally of the shell; Wedge pressure-transrnitting nieans at opposite ends of said mechanism and coacting with said rictionreleinents;

tandem arranged springs between said elements cooperating with the wedge pressure transinftting nieans and engaging said abutinents to center the friction elements and shell; and a group of intercalated ifrietion plates interposed between each friction eleinent and the corresponding side ot' the shell, said plates being adapted to be engaged by said followers` and inoved relatively to each other.

In Witness that I elaini the foregoing l have hereunto subscribed my naine this 12th day ot' May 1924;.

STACY B. HASELTNE. 

